The Past, The Present, And The Future
by Kinkatia
Summary: Nami's past returns to haunt her, leaving her in a state that no one in the crew has ever seen her in. They can't seem to reach her, no matter how hard they try. Will Roronoa Zoro be the one to get through to her?
1. Chapter 1

**I can't believe it…another fic. groans But I have to! I can't keep my ideas at bay! And for lack of a better disclaimer person at the moment, the concussed Bankotsu has the honors.**

**Bankotsu: Yeah…relative disclaimers and stuff like that…I think I'm supposed to say something funny about Kinkatia and the ownership of One Piece, but my head hurts too much to remember…**

The Past, The Present, And The Future

"_No, Yukio! Stop it!" The small red-haired girl cowered away from the boy standing over her. She could not have been more than two years old, but it seemed as if the boy didn't care. He kicked her in the side, sending her fragile body sliding across the ground._

_Thunder rumbled across the sky, and rain poured heavily, as if the clouds have been viciously torn open. The wind howled angrily, voicing its fury to the only two living beings that dared to venture out into the storm._

"_Stop sniveling, Nami!" the boy growled angrily, walking over to her with slow, deliberate steps._

"_Why are you hurting me, Yukio?" she asked, not moving from the ground. She was too small to comprehend it; he was her brother, the only family she had left. He was supposed to protect her; that's what Papa had said. He was supposed to make sure she was happy. Then why…why would he hurt her?_

_He stopped, staring down at her distastefully. His red locks had turned a deep brown from the soaking they were being subjected to. His green eyes burned with pent up rage and fury. "It's your fault," he growled. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"_

_Tears fell from her eyes, mingling with the rainwater that was dripping down her face. Ever since Papa had left, everything had been her fault. She couldn't do anything right; she was useless. But now, she didn't even know what she had done. Yukio had just started hurting her, for no reason. "I don't understand!" she cried, getting to her knees. "What did I do, brother?"_

"_Shut up!" he screamed, grabbing the front of her drenched shirt and lifting her up to his face. "You have no right to call me your brother! You killed her! Mama's gone because of you, and because of you, Papa left us!"_

_Nami still didn't understand. She was too young to know the pang of death, and what it meant. And she was too young to understand that she had indeed killed their mother, though it wasn't her fault. Mothers often died in the throes of giving birth, when complications arose._

"_But Papa said he would come back," she replied, confused and afraid. _

"_He only said that so you wouldn't start crying like a baby!" Yukio snarled. "He's never coming back! He's abandoned us, and it's all because of you! You look too much like Mama, and he couldn't stand the sight of you anymore!"_

_He dropped her unceremoniously to the ground. "I hate you," he sneered. "You deserve to be dead, too!" _

_She stumbled to her feet and ran. It was the only thing she could do. She rushed blindly on, small legs pumping as fast as they could go. Yukio shouted, chasing after her as another peal of thunder tore through the heavens. _

_Then…she tripped. With a cry of pain, she went sprawling. In the next instant, her brother was standing over her. "I've just had an idea," he said coldly, looking at the cliff they had been running along. "Maybe it's time you learned how to swim…"_

_What happened next was terrifying. A blue light forked down from the raging sky and descended upon Yukio. It was there for an instant, and then it was gone. He screamed in agony, and took a step forward, blindly, and tripped over his little sister. He fell over the cliff, and his screams were overpowered by the thunder._

Nami awoke with a start, drenched in sweat. She couldn't remember the last time she'd had that nightmare. She lifted her hands to her face, only to find she was shaking uncontrollably. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, vaguely wondering what had caused the old dream to resurface.

The cabin was suddenly suffocating. She felt small and afraid, and yet at the same time, she felt as if the walls around her were closing in, trapping her in an infinitely smaller space. Shaking her head, she decided she needed some fresh air.

She got to her feet and immediately noticed the unusual stillness of the ship. It was usually swaying back and forth with the gentle motion of the waves. But now…it was eerily calm. Ignoring the fear that was creeping up inside her, she swiftly left the cabin and made her way into the fresh air of the open deck. Only, it did not seem so fresh right now. It was sticky and humid, with a sense of anticipation. She looked up at the sky, and noted the ominous gray clouds that were blocking off the stars.

It was no better out here than it had been in her cabin. She remembered sensing a storm approaching that afternoon. It seemed that it had finally caught up with them. Now it was just waiting for the right moment to break.

She walked over to the rail and leaned on it, fixing her gaze to the unnaturally calm gray waters. Her dream replayed in her mind, and to her own horror, she felt the urge to cry.

"You're up awfully late." She didn't turn to see who it was. She recognized the voice as belonging to Roronoa Zoro.

"So are you," she countered half-heartedly.

He immediately knew something was wrong. Nami seemed like she was lost in another world. It just wasn't…normal. "I heard you come out here," he replied indifferently. She nodded; he had a reputation of sleeping out on deck in even the worst weather. He claimed it beat putting up with Usopp's snoring. "What's wrong?"

She stiffened for a moment before she plastered on an overly-bright and obviously fake smile. "Nothing at all. I just had a little bad dream, that's all."

Zoro resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Nami could see the best of lies coming from a mile away, but she couldn't fool anybody with her own.

There was a sudden, loud clap of thunder, followed by an instant downpour of rain. Nami stiffened, her knuckles going white from the grip she had on the rail. Another peal of thunder came, and she brought her arms up around herself in a defensive gesture.

Zoro started to worry. Nami wasn't scared of storms. Why in the world was she suddenly so afraid. "Nami, what's wrong?" he asked again, only to receive no response. Her eyes had clouded, as if she was looking off into another world.

With the next round of thunder, she lost it. Sinking down to the deck, she covered her head with her hands, her eyes closed tightly. Tears leaked out from under her lids as she whimpered like a frightened child. Zoro, not knowing what else to do, knelt down beside her, reached out and put his hand on her arm, giving her a little shake. "Snap out of it, Nami," he said irritably.

To his astonishment, she flinched away from his touch. "No, Yukio! Please, stop!"

Taking firm hold of her shoulders, he shook her again, just enough to get her attention. "Nami! Calm down!"

She whimpered in fear and tried to curl into a ball. "Damn it, Nami! Look at me!"

Hesitantly, she opened her dark eyes and raised them to his. Lightning flashed through the sky, and the wind picked up, churning the sea and rocking the ship. "Z…Zoro?" she asked timidly, recognition dawning.

"It's about time," he growled angrily, though he was nothing of the sort. Her little episode had scared him out of his wits. "Come on." He lifted her to her feet and steadied her as he led her back to her cabin.

Once the storm was safely shut outside, she seemed to relax a little. She sat on her bed and stared blankly at the floor, trying to stop herself from trembling like a leaf.

"If you're back to normal now, I'm going back outside," Zoro stated.

"No!" Her speedy objection startled him. He turned to face her and lifted a questioning brow. She flushed, embarrassed. "That storm is going to get really bad," she explained.

"I've been through storms before. One more won't kill me," he retorted gruffly. He opened the door and proceeded to step out, when she said something else.

"The lightning…" Her voice was small and constrained. She was hiding fear.

With an annoyed sigh, he closed the door and looked at her again. "Fine. But you better get some sleep; judging by the way you acted earlier, you need it."

She nodded, relief clear on her features. She lay back down, despite being drenched, and pulled her blanket over her shoulders. Zoro took a seat on the floor by the opposite wall, eager to resume his rest. Before he drifted off to sleep, he thought he heard Nami murmur, "Thank you, Zoro."

**How is it? I feel bad about what I did to poor Nami!!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for keeping all nine of you reviewers waiting! But here's the next chap, finally! I hope it turns out as good as the first one did! **

**And I got stuck after I got to the first page break line thingy. Seriously. So, thanks to my inability to sleep through a thunderstorm, and the insane hour of around four in the morning it woke me up, I had time to fight writer's block. But now I'm grumpy and half asleep…**

**Otulia: Relative disclaimers apply!**

He wasn't awoken by the slapping of waves against the ship, or the rocking motion they caused. It wasn't the delicious aroma of breakfast being prepared in the kitchen by the annoying chef, nor was it the sound of the wind in the sails. It wasn't even the sounds of Luffy and Usopp calling for him as they ran noisily across the deck. All of that was normal, and he had slept through it often enough.

Then, what did wake him up? He listened intently. There. It was soft and muffled, but nearby. The sound of someone coughing.

He cracked open his eyes and looked around. It took him a moment to register the fact that he wasn't out on deck, where he usually slept. He was still in Nami's quarters, where he'd stayed during the storm.

Nami herself was still asleep, buried in her blanket; the coughing was coming from her.

Stretching, he stood and walked over to her. With worry, he noticed she was shivering, her face flushed. She let out another small cough.

Sighing, he placed his hand on her forehead, hoping he wouldn't wake her. Her skin was scorching hot.

She shifted as he pulled his hand away. So much for not waking her.

"Zoro?" She sounded so weak.

"Go back to sleep," he instructed gruffly, going to the door and letting himself out.

No sooner had he closed the cabin door than he was assaulted by the crew's biggest loudmouths.

"Zoro! We've been looking for you!" Usopp said.

Luffy bounced up beside him, as hyper as ever. "We thought you were washed overboard!" he announced.

A vein pulsed in the swordsman's forehead, and a moment later, both the captain and the marksman had sizeable lumps on their noggins. "Keep it down, will ya'? Nami's sick."

"Nami's sick? Oh no!" Luffy shouted, earning another clonk on the head.

"Where's Chopper?"

Two fingers simultaneously pointed to the kitchen.

* * *

With a sigh, he knocked on the door. He'd much rather be taking a nap, now that the clouds had cleared and the sun was shining all too brightly. But Chopper had asked him to check in on Nami, and he didn't feel like putting up a fuss.

"Come on in," she answered weakly.

He opened the door and peered in at her. "Chopper thinks you might feel better if you came out on deck and got some fresh air," he stated.

"Oh, hi, Zoro. Sure, I'll come out. It's stuffy in here anyway."

She stood up, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders and brining it with her. She stumbled across to the doorway, grasping it for support.

He sighed again. Why couldn't Sanji do this? He'd be much happier about it, that's for sure. "Here."

He let her lean on his arm as he guided her to the steps to the upper deck. Once she was safely seated, he turned to go, ready to get to his nap.

"Thanks, Zoro."

He didn't have time to answer, as Luffy and Usopp skidded out of nowhere, obviously having another of their usual arguments.

"Don't worry, Nami," Usopp said boastfully. "The great Captain Usopp will make sure you get better quickly!"

He received a rather hard blow to the head as Luffy shouted, "_I'm_ the captain, dummy!"

Laughter stopped them both in their tracks. They looked at Nami, confused. "You two are so funny," she explained, trying to stifle her giggles.

"Laughter is the best medicine," Usopp said proudly. "The great Captain Usopp never fails!"

"I told you, _I'M_ the captain!" Luffy yelled, chasing Usopp around the deck, only causing Nami to laugh more.

Zoro almost smiled as he glanced over his shoulder at her smiling face. If she could laugh, then her cold couldn't be too bad.

Sanji emerged from the kitchen, bowl in hand. "Nami, my swan!" he exclaimed, his only visible eye transformed into a pulsing heart. "I've brought you my special soup to fight your nasty cold."

With a smile, she accepted it from him, taking a small sip of the broth. "It's delicious, Sanji!"

"Of course! Only the best for you, Nami."

Zoro's almost-smile faded, and he turned his gaze out to sea. He blinked, staring for a moment, then said loud enough for the others to hear, "There's land up ahead."

* * *

Nami closed her eyes and tilted her face to the sky. She was feeling much better, after an afternoon in the sun, Sanji's cooking, and the antics of Luffy and Usopp making her laugh. But now, she just wanted some peace. And that's just what she had, since her hyperactive captain had decided he was hungry.

A brisk wind filled the sails, speeding them ever closer to their goal. Nami shivered, opening her eyes again and scanning the open deck. She suddenly felt the need to talk to someone, but poking her head into the kitchen would only worsen her headache. She could hear the noise out here, and knew it was a madhouse.

That left only Zoro, who had been snoring loudly all afternoon. Well, she'd wake him up if she had to. It might even be good for a laugh.

Slowly getting to her feet, she paused for a moment to catch her balance. Much to her annoyance, her cold was making her dizzy. With a sigh, she walked across the deck and sat down next to the snoozing swordsman.

"How're you feeling?"

Nami nearly jumped out of her skin. She'd been certain he was asleep. "Better," she answered once her heart had slowed to a normal rate.

There was silence between them as Zoro sat up, resting his arm on his knee. "Good," he finally replied. "We'll be reaching that island soon. It wouldn't do to have you sick."

She looked at him speculatively, wondering what he meant by those words. She shivered again, and glanced out to sea at the land mass on the horizon. "I think this one's a fall island," she said, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders.

"You sure that's not your fever talking?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's pretty warm out."

"I don't know." She shook her head, immediately regretting it as another wave of dizziness washed over her. She snaked a hand out from under the blanket and put it to her head, closing her eyes and letting it pass.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Zoro asked, not bothering to mask his concern.

"Yeah…I'm just a little di-" She was cut off when a strong gust of wind violently rocked the ship. Caught off guard, she was thrown to the side…and right into Zoro. He clamped an arm around her as another gust followed, and she gratefully hung on to him, feeling her stomach lurch unpleasantly.

When it finally seemed calm, she peeked over his shoulder to find an oddly familiar sight. There was a single large rock some distance away, which had gone almost unnoticed. On that rock was a single tree, twisted and gnarled, but thriving nonetheless, its bright green foliage decorated with red flowers. _Flowers the color of blood._

She jumped to her feet, gripping the rail and leaning over it, the contents of her stomach emptying into the water below. She vaguely heard Zoro mutter a curse as he scrambled to his feet as well. Tears leaked from under her closed lids as she heaved painfully, barely managing to hold herself up. Just when she thought her legs would give out under her, Zoro came to her rescue, holding her shoulders firmly until she ceased vomiting.

When she looked up at him, panting and pale, he was surprised to see her eyes glazed, not with pain, but with something he had seen too many times to count in the eyes of others. Fear.

Nami collapsed against him, shaking violently. He was half afraid that she'd end up like she had last night. Slowly, he lowered her to the deck, sitting with her. "I'm surprised Needlebrow and the others haven't rushed out here to make sure you're okay," he muttered, watching her closely. "Something must've happened in the kitchen when the ship rocked."

As if in answer, Sanji's angry voice drifted out to them. "I told you to put that down!"

Nami closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths to calm herself. "I wouldn't want them to see me like this," she said quietly, her voice trembling. But she showed no sign of regressing into that panic-stricken state, and Zoro relaxed a little, though he didn't remove his arm from her shoulders.

Within minutes, she'd fallen into an exhausted slumber. Zoro sighed. Now he'd have to carry her into her cabin.

**Poor Nami! You're all wondering why she's so frightened, aren't you? Well, if you want to know, review! It might help my writer's block dissipate! Feel free to leave guesses and questions! But please, review!!!!**


	3. Chapter 3

**That last chapter took me all day long, but while I'm squeezing through a teeny crack in the wall between my creativity and I (aka, writer's block), I'll at least start this one! Wish me luck!**

**Otulia: One word sums it all up. Disclaimer.**

Nami awoke in her bed, and for a moment, couldn't recall how she got there. Slowly, the memory returned, and her face flushed with embarrassment. Zoro had carried her there, refusing to let her walk the short distance even though she'd woken when he'd picked her up. He'd seemed so genuinely concerned.

She supposed it made sense, considering how weak she'd been after…after she'd seen _that._ But she was glad it had been Zoro with her. Though he was usually gruff and irritating, he was calm in a pinch, and she trusted him not to make a huge deal out of what had happened. If any of her other crewmates had been there…she shuddered at the thought.

Changing into a fresh set of clothes, she stepped outside into the glaring sunlight. Just a quick glance around told her that they'd reached the island sometime while she was asleep. It appeared empty of all human life, a dense evergreen forest fronted by a rocky beach, with dangerous cliffs on either side.

It seemed almost as if she'd been here before. She shook her head. Of course she hadn't been here before. This was an island in the Grand Line. She grew up far from such places.

"Nami!" Luffy bounded up beside her, grinning, excited at the prospect of exploring a new island. "You feeling better?"

"You bet," she answered with her own grin. "Are we going ashore soon?"

He nodded, his smile disappearing. "Listen Nami," he said in a serious tone. "I want you to stay on the ship today, okay? You might not have all your strength back yet, and this island looks dangerous."

She frowned for a moment before replying cheerily. "Sure. I was planning on doing just that anyway. What fun is an island with no stores?" She sighed, glancing up at the clear blue sky. "So I guess that means I'm guarding the ship, huh?"

"You bet!" the captain replied, carefree attitude back in place. "You and Zoro!"

* * *

Zoro, safely tucked away on the upper deck and out of sight, flinched as he heard Nami's protest.

"YOU'RE LEAVING ME HERE WITH THAT LAZY SWORDSMAN?!?!?!"

He'd been expecting that when he'd asked Luffy to keep her behind that morning.

"_What's up, Zoro?" Luffy asked. He could tell when there was something bothering his first mate, and this was one of those times._

"_I'm worried about Nami. Something really scared her that night we had that storm, and she's been on edge since. Even yesterday, something got to her."_

_Luffy was silent, waiting for the swordsman to continue._

"_I don't think she should leave the ship today, just in case."_

"_Alright then! I'll just ask Sanji to stay behind with her!"_

"_No," Zoro interjected. "I'll stay."_

"_You sure?"_

_He nodded. "Yeah. It'd be best."_

He turned his eyes to the sky. If all went well, Nami would be fine. But if whatever was haunting her showed up again, he knew he was the best person to be there for her, since no one else had been there before. But hopefully, that wouldn't happen. He'd like to get a decent amount of training done…

* * *

Nami was silent, lost in her thoughts. She'd been pointedly ignoring Zoro, and last she'd checked, her was busy doing one-armed push ups.

The object of her attention right now was the rock she'd seen yesterday. She could see it, and the tree on it, clearly. It wasn't the tree itself that bothered her, but the flowers blooming in its branches.

_Flowers the color of blood._

She'd seen flowers like them sometime before, but she couldn't recall where. She didn't even know why the sight of them sent chills of fear racing down her spine.

_Blood falling…falling from the sky._

She shivered involuntarily, wishing she could remember, but at the same time, wishing that memory would stay locked away.

_Screaming…the sound of death. And blood…blood falling everywhere, scarlet drops blending with the carpet of petals. Blood and death, death and blood, surrounding her, engulfing her, drowning…_

"You're awfully quiet."

She jumped at the sound of his voice in her ear. She hadn't noticed when he came to stand beside her at the rail, staring out at sea.

"Just…thinking," she replied, rubbing her arms in an attempt to dispel the chill that had descended upon her.

There was silence for a time, then…

"I'm sorry."

Zoro turned his gaze to her, confused. Why was she apologizing?

"If I scared you the other night," she explained softly. "I'm…sorry. I just…remembered something, and…" She left the rest unsaid, but he understood. Her dream that night had been a memory she would've preferred to leave forgotten.

"It's been a long time, Nami."

_That voice. _

At once, they both whirled around, seeking the speaker. Standing by the opposite rail was a tall, heavily built man who couldn't have been more than twenty five years old. His scarred face, along with the presence of three swords at his waist, told them he was a swordsman. His shaggy red hair fell in his face covering his eyes.

Nami couldn't speak. This stranger filled her with a fear close to panic.

Zoro didn't seem to be affected, however. "What do you want?" he demanded, glaring at the newcomer.

"I'm just here to settle unfinished business," the man replied casually. "Now, Nami dearest, are you ready to die?"

He raised his head, transfixing her with his piercing green gaze.

_Those eyes._

"Yukio."

**Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm on an updating spree with this fic, aren't I?**

**Otulia: It's a **_**dis**_**claimer. Go figure.**

"Yukio."

That was the same name she'd cried out in fear during the storm. So this man must be the one she'd remembered. Zoro didn't take his eyes off him.

"I thought you were dead," Nami spat, doing her best to mask her terror with fury. He would kill her this time, no doubt about it. She wouldn't give him the chance. She'd leave the ship, run into the forest and hide, wait until Luffy and the others returned, and then come back, making sure they left immediately. If only he wasn't between her and land…

"Life is full of surprises, isn't it?" Yukio said lightly, smirking. "I wasn't about to die until I'd made you pay for what you did."

"It wasn't my fault, and you know it. So why are you really here?"

"I told you, dearest sister, I'm here to kill you."

In a flash, he'd drawn two of his swords and lunged at her. She couldn't move, her feet frozen in place as she watched her death approaching...

_CLANG!_

She blinked in surprise as Zoro intercepted him, halting his blades with his own.

"Z-Zoro," she murmured, finding her voice again.

"Just stay outta the way, Nami," he said calmly. "I won't let this bastard hurt you."

"You stay out of this!" Yukio snarled, jumping back. "This is a family affair, and none of your concern!"

Zoro ignored him, grinning. "I see you carry three blades. Do you fight with them, or are they just for show?"

"You're looking for a fight, aren't you?" Yukio asked. He thought for a moment before grinning. "I'll be more than happy to give you one. I've waited this long to end Nami's life; a few moments more won't hurt."

"You won't get a chance," Zoro said confidently. "I'll kill you here and now." Slowly, deliberately, he sheathed his sword, pulling the bandana from his arm and tying it firmly around his head.

Yukio placed one of his blades firmly between his teeth, glaring at Zoro, and unsheathing the third. With a smirk, Zoro also readied himself.

Nami backed away, watching with wide eyes as the battle commenced. She'd seen Zoro fight before, and she knew how strong he was; but Yukio seemed to have the upper hand. He was bigger, faster, and probably stronger. Biting her lip, she fell to her knees, unable to do anything but hope Zoro would win. Because if he didn't…they'd both die.

They moved so quickly that she couldn't keep up, their swords only blurs. The sounds of metal on metal rang in her ears, chilling her blood. She didn't want this; she didn't want her brother to be there.

The first strike. They stood apart, panting, glaring daggers at one another and waiting to see who would make the next move. To Nami's horror, Zoro has a large gash on his right arm, the blood dripping steadily to the deck, while Yukio was unharmed.

They went at it again, Zoro taking more hits, Yukio easily avoiding injury. He was obviously the stronger swordsman. And Zoro was quickly wearing down.

Nami couldn't take it anymore, watching her brother hurt her friend. It was just too much. "Zoro!" she shouted, fighting back tears. "Remember your promise! You said you'd never lose again, didn't you? Live up to your word!"

It was like magic. Time seemed to slow. Yukio attacked, but Zoro sidestepped it, countering quickly. Blood spattered on the deck. Yukio turned, oblivious to pain, and attacked again. This time, Zoro brought his swords up underneath of his foe's.

Metal clashed on metal.

Sunlight glinted off steel.

Three swords flew through the air to clatter harmlessly to the deck.

Yukio fell, unconscious, bleeding heavily from his wounds.

And the spell was broken.

"Tie him up, hurry," Zoro panted, barely able to keep his feet. "He's far from dying, and I don't want to fight him again."

As if in a trance, she snatched up a coil of rope and rushed over to her brother, binding his arms to his sides as best as she could. She finished of the last knot and looked up at Zoro for further instruction…

…just in time to see him collapse. To see the blood pooling around him.

"ZORO!!!!!"

He was bleeding so heavily. His cuts were so deep. She had to do something or he'd…No! She wouldn't think about that. But she had to help him…

It was the hardest thing she'd ever done. She couldn't stop crying, knowing he'd gotten hurt like this protecting her. He was still clinging to consciousness, breathing heavily, raggedly. He had to stay awake. He needed something to concentrate on, to hold onto wakefulness. So she talked to him, meaningless nonsense, as she cleaned his wounds and bandaged them, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. But it wouldn't stop. Oh gods, the bleeding wouldn't stop. And her hands wouldn't stop shaking, no matter how hard she tried.

* * *

He was so tired.

_I'm sure Sanji will cook us something nice once he gets back with the others._

He just wanted to sleep.

_Luffy will probably eat most of it, but…_

But that woman kept blabbering about food.

…_and Chopper will be…_

Her voice was distracting him; how the hell was he supposed to sleep with her talking to him like that?

…_I really hope it's something…_

He closed his eyes.

_No! Zoro! Come on, stay with me!_

What the hell was she going on about now?

_Please, Zoro! Stay awake!_

Why did she sound so upset? That's right…the fight with that damn Yukio fellow…

_ZORO!_

Nami seems alright…so he must have won…that's…good…

* * *

He wouldn't wake up. She had tried so hard, but he wouldn't wake up.

Then she heard it. Their voices. The others…they were coming back! They could help Zoro, and he wouldn't…

Nami jumped up and ran to the rail, scanning the tree line for any sign of her crewmates. They were just emerging, chatting happily among one another, completely oblivious to what had gone on while they were gathering supplies.

"LUFFY!!!!" she called desperately. "LUFFY!!!!" He looked up sharply, and she knew he'd heard. That was good, because…because she didn't have the strength to yell anymore. She sank to her knees, sobbing, unable to do anything but wait…

* * *

Luffy heard his name being called, and looked up at the ship. Nami was standing at the rail, and even from that distance, he could see she was covered in blood.

"Something's wrong," he said gravely. Not a moment later, the group was running full speed to the ship.

**Wow! Three days in a row! But…DON'T HATE ME!!! And if you must leave an angry review…be as nice to me as possible, 'kay?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A special thanks to my anonymous reviewer, huntress, who informed me that the last chapter was a little drag-ish at the end! Thanks bunches! I'll try to watch out for that and not do it again!**

**Now I know you're all wondering if Zoro will make it, sooo…**

**Otulia: Oi, You! What are ya' thinkin'? We don't own One Piece!**

"He doesn't look like a pirate."

"Maybe he's a bounty hunter?"

"I dunno…"

"A thief?"

"Maybe…"

Luffy and Usopp were passing the time staring at Yukio, who, still unconscious, had been relocated when it was decided it'd be safer to have him secured to the mast. They were debating about why he had boarded the Going Merry and attacked Zoro in hushed voices, glancing around nervously from time to time. The tension on the ship was almost unbearable, as they waited for Chopper to finish seeing to their green haired friend.

The sight that had greeted them upon returning to the ship had not been a pleasant one. The entire deck had been stained with the blood of the two warriors. Nami had been a wreck, sobbing and weakly pleading with Zoro to hang on to life. The swordsman himself had barely been breathing, paler than death itself.

The only words they'd gotten from Nami before she'd grabbed a change of clothes and vanished into her orange grove were the mysterious swordsman's name and a plea to Chopper to help Zoro.

They'd been kept busy, cleaning the deck and assisting the small doctor. Now, as the sun was sinking lower in the sky, they had nothing to do but wait. Sanji was barricaded in the kitchen, undoubtedly cooking something or other and puffin away on a cigarette, trying to keep his mind on anything but his friend's condition.

Shortly, Chopper emerged into the evening. Luffy and Usopp immediately turned in his direction, and their hearts fell. One look at the reindeer's face told them all they needed to know.

Chopper was worried. Zoro wasn't doing so well.

Dinner for the crew was strained. The food was far from Sanji's best, but no one seemed to notice. The kitchen felt strangely empty without Zoro, and Nami hadn't come down from her orange grove. Usopp played aimlessly with his food; he wasn't hungry. In fact, no one felt like eating, not even Luffy, who usually scarfed down his food in a hurry and then proceeded to steal from everyone else. They picked at the food, nibbling here and there.

Sanji left the kitchen with a sigh, taking a plate with him. Nami might be upset, but she was still recovering from her cold, and needed to eat something. He made his way up to her trees, knowing she would be tucked away among them somewhere.

Sure enough, he found her sitting among the roots of one of the orange trees, hidden from sight but with a clear view of the deck. She was glaring at Yukio, bottle of rum in hand. Eight or so empty bottles were scattered around her.

"Nami," Sanji said quietly. "I've brought you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry," she replied curtly, swallowing a mouthful of rum.

"I know, but you need to keep up your strength."

"I don't care." Her voice was low and angry, and her gaze never left the man tied to the mast.

"Nami-"

"Just go away!" she shouted, finally looking at him. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of fury, fear, and guilt.

Sanji was stunned. She'd never yelled at him like that before.

Footsteps signaled the approach of Usopp and Luffy, wanting to know what the yelling was about.

"Oi, Nami," Luffy said. "What're you doing up here by yourself anyway?"

"What's it look like?!" she snapped, waving the near empty jar in her hand. "I'm trying to get drunk!"

"There's not enough rum on this ship for that," Usopp remarked. He was rewarded when Nami forcefully chucked one of the empty bottles at his head.

"Don't you get it?" she snarled, tears forming in her eyes. "It's my fault! It's all my damn fault!"

"What do you mean, Nami?" Sanji asked gently.

"Yukio didn't come here to fight Zoro! He came to kill me!" She turned her back to them, bowing her head to hide her tears. An awkward silence followed, in which everyone could clearly hear Nami crying.

Slowly, Luffy walked over and sat down in front of her. When she lifted the bottle to her mouth again, he stopped her. "Zoro won't be happy if you drink all the rum," he stated simply.

"How…how is he?" she asked quietly.

"Chopper patched him up. He's still sleeping, but when he wakes up, he'll want his rum."

Nami nodded. "Yeah…" She put the bottle down and hugged her knees, staring blankly at the ground. "It wasn't his fight, Luffy. But he insisted on protecting me, and…and he got hurt. He…he shouldn't have-"

"Zoro wanted to protect you, Nami. That's why he asked to stay here with you today."

She raised her disbelieving eyes to meet Luffy's. "He…he did?"

He nodded and stood, holding out a hand to her. "Come on, you should keep him company."

Reluctantly, she allowed him to pull her to her feet and lead her past Sanji and Usopp. When they had gone, the chef and marksman looked at each other gravely. Both of them knew perfectly well that Zoro might not wake up.

* * *

Nami sat in a chair by the bed, staring at her hands. She'd been there since Luffy had taken her there the evening before, and had been sitting in silence. It had been more than a day, and Zoro still hadn't woken up. He'd never been out for so long after a fight. Chopper said that he seemed to be improving, but the worry was clear in the reindeer's voice. The swordsman was not out of the danger zone yet. He could still…

She shook her head. She couldn't afford those thoughts. Zoro was strong, he would pull through, and then…then he'd get hurt again, protecting her.

"Oh, Zoro," she sighed sadly, breaking her long silence. "I'm so sorry."

His chest heaved up and down with each breath. He groaned in his sleep, his face momentarily showing his pain before he grew still again.

Nami blinked back tears. "This is all my fault," she whispered. "It wasn't your fight."

There was silence again, as she tried to calm herself. She'd done so much crying already, and didn't want to start all over again. But her misery wouldn't rest, and her guilty thoughts wouldn't cease.

"I'm so useless," she choked out. "I can't even protect myself. You got hurt because of me."

Once again, the vivid memory of the battle returned to her. She closed her eyes against it in vain. She remembered so clearly, as if it was happening all over again right in front of her. She saw him fall, saw the blood pooling around him…

Tears leaked from under her lids. She couldn't take it anymore. Turning her back on Zoro, she let it all out. "I can't do anything!" she cried. "I'm just a burden to everyone!"

She froze as she heard movement behind her, and gasped as two strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her backward onto the bed. "Don't talk like that," Zoro admonished quietly, resting his head on her shoulder and breathing heavily.

"Zoro…" She couldn't think as a surge of relief washed over her. He was awake. He would survive.

"He would have killed me, if it weren't for you. I had to keep you safe," he whispered.

He was obviously in a lot of pain. He was deathly pale, and could barely keep himself in a sitting position. "Zoro, you're hurt. You need to rest…" She closed her eyes, tears leaking out from under her closed lids. "It wasn't your fight," she whispered. "Why?"

"I couldn't stand by and let him kill you, Nami." There was something unidentifiable in his voice that made her turn around in his grasp to look at him.

Their eyes met; hers, filled with fear and guilt, and his, glazed over with fever. He pulled her closer, and she felt an unfamiliar sense of fright passing through her. Gently placing her hands on his shoulders, she looked up at him. He lowered his head toward hers until their foreheads touched, caressing the back of her head with one hand.

"Z-Zoro," she stammered, wide-eyed and confused.

"Don't talk, please," he asked so quietly she could barely hear him.

She froze as his face slowly came closer to hers. For the second time, she found she couldn't think.

Their lips met; Nami stiffened in surprise, her eyes widening a fraction more. She involuntarily pulled away with a squeak, her face flushed.

Zoro dropped his hand and turned his head. "I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice strained. He leaned back against the cabin wall, closing his eyes, sadness radiating from him.

"Zoro!" She latched onto him suddenly, sobbing. He winced, and she pulled away, hastily apologizing, only to have him pull her right back, despite the pain it caused him.

He held her close, as if he would never let her go, willing his arms to cease their shaking in his weakened state. She leaned against him, her head on his shoulder, and let out everything she'd been holding back. "Don't cry," he said, knowing it would do no good. She'd keep on crying until she ran out of tears.

"Th-thank you…f-for pr-protect-ing me."

"Anytime."

* * *

Sanji quietly closed the door and made his way back to the kitchen. He'd been going to try to get Nami to eat something, when he'd heard her talking. Something had frozen him in place with the door only open a crack. He had watched silently as she broke down, and was about to go to comfort her when he had seen Zoro move. And when the swordsman had kissed her…it nearly broke his heart. His first instinct was to barge in and admonish Zoro for his actions, but…

Sighing inwardly, he stepped into the kitchen. Zoro would want something to eat, after all. Better get another plate.

**I was sorely tempted to leave you guys with another cliffy, but…well…I couldn't. Two in a row was enough. And I nearly decided to mess with ya'll and tell you that Zoro had died, but…I couldn't. I'm not evil today. I think Kie went somewhere to wreak havoc, soo…yeah. Review for me, please! Oh, and I'm aware that I copied and pasted from Drabbles!...after all, it was that one drabble that inspired this entire story, and I think I got it right the first time. Anyhoo, review!!!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm so terribly sorry I haven't updated in forever. I blame my toe for breaking a month or so ago. I was going stir crazy, and as soon as I could walk normally again, I was gone! Outside! I missed it so much!!!! But…now I've calmed a bit, and have returned with a new goal! I shall finish all my fics by the end of summer break! Yatta!**

**Otulia: We don't own One Piece, but if we did, we'd still write fanfiction for it to satisfy Kinkatia's imagination; it never stops coming up with possibilities…**

The last gleams of daylight were fading, the stars blinking into existence one by one. Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were out on the deck, seated in a semi-circle around Yukio.

"What are we gonna do with him?" Chopper asked.

"I dunno," Luffy answered. "What do you think, Usopp?"

The marksman thought about it for a moment before jumping to his feet proudly. "Let's make him walk the plank!"

"Nah," came Luffy's reply. "That's boring."

Usopp plopped back down, sighing in defeat.

"I vote we feed 'im to the fishes." All three of them turned to see the blonde-haired cook walking toward them.

"Hey Sanji!" Luffy greeted. "How's Nami doing?" Out of the seven of them, Luffy was the least concerned for Zoro. He was confident the swordsman was too stubborn to die.

"Better," Sanji answered. "By the way, Zoro's awake."

"Hooray!" Luffy shouted as he, Usopp, and Chopper got up and rushed to see him.

Sanji chuckled quietly. "I reckon he's had enough time to eat." After another glance at Yukio, he turned and joined his crewmates, unaware of the glare directed at his retreating back.

* * *

Everyone had quickly settled themselves into the small space, after only a brief argument between Luffy and Usopp about who was to sit where. Nami ended up giving up her chair to Luffy and placed herself on the bed next to Zoro. Surprisingly, the gluttonous captain hadn't even tried to touch Zoro's food, despite the fact that the swordsman couldn't finish it. After many declarations of happiness and procuring Zoro a much needed bottle of rum, it seemed as if nothing could destroy the good mood of the crew. 

That is, until Luffy spoke up.

"Hey, Nami, who is that guy anyway, and why did he want to kill you?"

Deathly silence descended upon them. All eyes turned expectantly to Nami, as she let her gaze drop to the floor, unhappy memories coming back to her. Unnoticed by the rest of the crew, Zoro reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. They were there for her, all of them, so it was okay to face her past.

"Yukio," she said slowly, dreading what she had to tell them, "is my older brother."

"What?! Your brother? No way!" Luffy exclaimed. He couldn't fathom someone's sibling trying to kill them. In his mind, family was family, and they stuck together no matter what.

Nami nodded silently. "I…I'd thought he was dead, and I'd nearly forgotten about him," she whispered. "He'd always hated me, blaming me for our mother's death, and when our father left on a trip somewhere, Yukio was convinced he'd abandoned us, and that it was my fault." She paused to wipe away the tears she couldn't hold back. "I was only two years old...that was the first time he tried to kill me. There…there wasn't anyone around to help me. I guess I was lucky that it was storming really badly, because…because he was struck by lightning, and then fell over a cliff. He shouldn't have been able to survive the fall, but…" She trailed off, squeezing her eyes shut to fight off a fresh wave of tears.

Her crewmates let what she had said sink in. No one knew what to say, and during the silence that followed, Zoro put his other hand on her arm, wishing he could pull her into his embrace, but not wanting the crew to overreact.

Nami spoke again, her voice barely audible. "After that, I was all alone, and a passing Navy ship picked me up. They wouldn't let me above deck until we had arrived at Cocoyashi…and that's when Bellemere found me…"

"There's just one thing I'd like to know," Sanji said. "How did that bastard find you?"

**Oh no! Another bad chapter! Forgive me, my readers! -cries-**


	7. Chapter 7

**Let's get this chapter going while I'm hyper and have some sort of idea what I'm doing!**

**Otulia: You heard her! On with the fanfiction! Which is written by a **_**fan.**_

Nami had decided it was time to confront her brother. She couldn't hide from him forever, and she needed to know how he had found her. Only then could the crew decide what to do with him. Sanji was still all for feeding Yukio to the fish, which had inspired Luffy to suggest using him as fish bait. But Nami, no matter how badly he had treated her, didn't want to hurt him. Zoro also supported letting him go, so that in the future they could fight again. Yet they needed to know how to prevent him from coming after Nami again.

Still, it wouldn't be easy. She didn't want the entire crew there, but she knew she couldn't face him alone. She needed serious moral support.

And so the sun rose the following morning to three people making their way across the deck.

Yukio glared at them each in turn, his eyes finally coming to rest on Nami. "Well, well, my cowardly sister finally decides to show herself," he taunted.

"Shut yer trap," Sanji demanded coldly. "No one talks to Nami that way."

"Yukio," Nami said quietly, drawing his attention back to her. She flinched under his piercing gaze, and Zoro, standing behind her, gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "How the hell did you find me?"

"Quite by accident, dearest sister," he answered derisively. "Don't tell me you don't remember?"

"Remember…what?"

"This island was once our home. I was visiting Mama, when I happened to see you standing up here on this deck. I can't tell you how happy I felt, knowing that you'd come home."

Nami paled, backing up a step, forgetting everything around her. "H…home? You mean…this…this is where…"

"Why, you _have_ forgotten, haven't you?" Yukio exclaimed mockingly. "I can't say I'm surprised, though. After all, you never were one to care much for family."

Something inside her snapped. "Shut up!" she shouted, her hands balling into fists. "Just shut the hell up, Yukio! What the hell do you know? You were supposed to be dead, dammit!"

"Nami, calm down." Zoro pulled her into him, holding her gently. "Calm down," he repeated in her ear. Slowly, she came back to herself, and a tear slid down her cheek.

"I can't believe it," she whispered. "I could never remember where this island was. And now…I'm back home…" Her eyes slid closed, and she collapsed against Zoro. Still weakened from his injuries, he staggered under her sudden weight. Sanji hurried over and took her from him, carrying her back to her quarters. With a last glance at Yukio, still secured firmly to the mast, Zoro followed.

* * *

"I can't believe you talked me into this," Zoro grumbled.

"I could have left you back on the ship with Luffy and Usopp, you know," Nami retorted. The two of them were making their way through the pine forest on the island, searching for anything that Nami remembered.

So far, they had turned up nothing.

"Hey, what's that smell?" Zoro asked suddenly. Nami sniffed the air; a strange scent was lingering on the air.

"I don't know," she replied, turning to her right. "But it seems to be coming from this direction."

As they walked, the scent became stronger, hanging thick upon the air. It was nearly a stench, hinting of rot and decay, but not unpleasant enough to repel them. Soon enough, they emerged from the pine into a grove of a different tree. A tree with flowers…

…flowers the color of blood.

**And…yes…short. Deal with it, it's nearly two am right now, and I'm impatiently waiting for the last episode of Death Note to load so I can find out if I have to cry myself to sleep or not…grr…be glad I'm updating. And please review! In the chance that I do have to cry myself to sleep, reviews will cheer me up so that I can get more writing done.**


	8. Chapter 8

**On to…whatever…**

**Otulia: Yeah…**

"Nami! Nami, what's wrong?!"

She stared in horror at the sight before them. The gnarled trees were everywhere, in full bloom. A carpet of petals blanketed the ground. It would have been beautiful, if not for the color that had suddenly taken over the scene. The deep crimson of blood.

"Oi, Nami! Snap out of it, will ya'?"

She wrenched herself free from his grasp and stumbled away, falling to her knees. Tears leaking from her eyes, the full horror of what had happened here returned to her in a violent flood of memory that had long been suppressed.

_It was everywhere, all over her, and more of it just kept coming._

Zoro knelt at her side, putting an arm around her shoulders. "Nami…"

_So much blood…it wouldn't stop coming…it was flowing onto her, and over her, pooling underneath of her._

She hugged herself, gasping for breath.

_Papa…Papa had come home...but now he was lying on top of her, and…the blood was his, it was his, and it just kept coming…_

"Please, no," she whispered, her eyes squeezed shut. "No."

_Papa wasn't moving…he wasn't breathing, and all the blood…_

Zoro pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair. "It's alright, Nami, just calm down."

_And now the stranger came, and he kicked Papa…she started to cry, confused and terrified…and the stranger, he heard her, and he pulled Papa off of her…and she was crying, crying for Papa and he wouldn't answer, he couldn't answer, because he was…he was…_

"Papa," she whispered. "Zoro, he died here, protecting me from…from…"

_The stranger…he was a pirate, a bloodthirsty scumbag…and…and he was dragging her away from her Papa, taking her from her home, from all that she knew…she tried to fight him, but he hit her…hit her hard, in the face…and he was so much bigger than her, stronger…_

"Pirates…under the mermen's flag…" She trailed off, silently fighting to get herself under control. She knew now, why she couldn't recall most of her memories from before Bellemere, and why she had always been so afraid to get close to anyone. She had lost everyone she cared for at such a young age, and then to be taken by the mermen…she wished she could remember how she escaped.

Silence settled over them like a blanket, Nami clinging to Zoro as if her life depended on it, and he holding her as if doing so would protect her from the ghosts of her past. The shadows were lengthening when Zoro finally broke the silence. "C'mon, Nami, let's go back to the ship."

She nodded against his chest and stood up with him, trying not to look at the crimson flowers all around. They reminded her too much of the real thing…how she hated the sight of blood. "I hate this place," she muttered weakly, letting Zoro guide her back the way they had come, trusting that for once, he would not get lost.

* * *

They were setting sail immediately, there was no question about it. They had provisions, fresh water, and Nami and Zoro had made it back safely, albeit a little shaken up. There was only one order of business left to be taken care of.

Yukio.

No one quite knew what to do with him. Luckily, Nami had a brilliant idea. And so, as the sun was sinking towards the horizon, lending an orange glow to the world, the crew gathered at the aft of the Merry Go with Yukio, his arms tightly bound to his sides.

"Papa came back, you know," Nami told him quietly. "He really did. But he was killed by pirates, protecting me. At least he didn't live long enough to find out what you'd done. I'm glad of that."

He sneered at her. "You expect me to believe that story?"

"You remember the crimson grove. That's where he died. Go see for yourself. His bones are probably still there."

Before he could respond, she stepped forward and shoved him, throwing all her weight behind the push. With a startled cry, he tumbled over the edge of the boat and into the water, sinking like a stone. A moment or so later, his head broke the surface, gasping for air as the Merry Go sailed off into the distance.

**Forgive me for taking so long, but…oh forget it, no one cares about my excuses unless they're funny. Anywho, I expect the next chapter to be the last. And I hope to get it up in much less time than this chapter took. Sorry…**


	9. Chapter 9

**The final chapter! The EPILOGUE!**

_Many years had gone by since the island had seen its last visitor. Ships sailed right past it, those aboard too preoccupied to worry about a tiny fall island that no one lived on. And they had heard stories, too. Stories of a mad swordsman and the ghost of a revered yet retired naval officer. They weren't superstitious, but they weren't about to take chances._

_But one boat didn't pass. It was a tiny thing, not built for an entire crew, one that could easily be handled by a single person. There were two aboard, however, and as they landed, one looked at the forest with fear-filled eyes._

_Together, they journeyed up the cliff, winding their way along the long neglected path, to the old run down house that stood at the top. _

_The woman ignored the collapsing building, and instead traced a familiar path into the copse behind it. There, under a tree adorned with flowers as red as blood, was an old, weathered gravestone. She knelt by it, reading the inscription to herself._

'_Kiko_

_Beloved Wife_

_Loving Mother'_

_The man soon joined her, placing a hand on her shoulder. When she looked at him, he nodded to a similar, newer stone nearby. They moved over to it, lost in silent thought. A single word was carved into it, sloppy yet legible._

'_Papa'_

_The woman turned into the man's embrace, crying silent tears._

"_He wasn't as heartless as we thought," she murmured. _

**Annoyingly short, yes. But I'm finally done with this story! I know, it's not my best, and someday, I may just rewrite it. But for now, this is it. Sorry to disappoint.**


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